"It's already been thirty minutes since we started the meeting. Thirty minutes, and we've barely discussed anything. Time really flies," Kim Ki-Rok said, pointing at the wall clock.
Rather than immediately revealing what his Discernment Skill uncovered, he launched into his lengthy explanation, beginning from the moment the Association made their request.
"Mr. President, how about a short break? Maybe ten minutes?"
"Good idea," Kang Man-Ki said with relief.
He had been eyeing this chronic overexplainer with barely concealed irritation, having planned to tune out once the important details were confirmed. However, Kim Ki-Rok was so skilled at weaving crucial information into his rambling that he had no choice but to listen to every word.
All the Guildmasters abruptly stood and filed out of the conference room, leaving behind only the president, Kim Ki-Rok, and Lee Yeon-Hwa of the Shine Guild.
Perched on her lap was Kim Ji-Hee, who let out a wide yawn and rubbed her eyes. "Mister."
"Oh, Ji-Hee! Want to go have some coix tea?"
Earlier, she had been throwing tantrums, complaining that it was boring and no fun.
She spaced out for a moment, then shook her head.
"Oho, something refreshing today, huh?"
"Yes! Something refreshing!"
"Alright, just wait here. Mister will get you some citron tea."
"Okay! Take your time!"
Kim Ki-Rok took a few steps, then paused and turned to look at her. "Huh? You want me to take my time?"
"Mister... my ears hurt."
He had held the microphone and spoken nonstop for thirty minutes.
"Ji-Hee," Kim Ki-Rok said, a bit guilty. "Should I buy it from the coffee shop on the first floor?"
"I'll come back with something delicious."
With slumped shoulders, he trudged out of the conference room.
As soon as Kim Ki-Rok stepped out, Kim Ji-Hee's audible sigh seemed to bring life back to the room's previously worn-out atmosphere.
"I feel like I can breathe now," someone muttered.
A few others chuckled, and Lee Yeon-Hwa gave a half-cough to hide her smile.
"Was it tough because he talked so much?" she asked.
"Yeeess. Everything about Mister is good, but..."
"Yes. The unnies and oppas all run away from him."
Kim Ki-Rok really does live life to the fullest.
Kim Ji-Hee let out another deep sigh and shook her head.
Lee Yeon-Hwa gently stroked her head. "Do you still like Mister?"
"Yeeess. He plays with me a lot, and he's good at cooking."
"That's true. Guildmaster Kim Ki-Rok is very good at cooking."
Lee Yeon-Hwa had tasted his food after clearing the Gate Revival of the World Tree. Based on the quality and variety of his dishes, she suspected he might have been a professional chef before Awakening. His cooking was simply too delicious to believe otherwise. He also didn't limit himself to one style, crafting everything from Korean, Chinese, Japanese, and Western cuisine to specialty dishes from various countries.
"Then did you eat anything tasty today?"
"Noooo." Kim Ji-Hee frowned as she nodded. "Someone made a request this morning, so I just had bread with jam."
Kang Man-Ki had been smiling as he listened but choked on his vending machine coffee as he heard that.
"That's not fair. Mister's been working since morning," Lee Yeon-Hwa justified.
As Kang Man-Ki kept coughing, his aides behind him turned their heads slightly to hide their reactions.
"What about last night?"
Kim Ji-Hee stared into the distance and swallowed if she was recalling something delicious.
She turned toward Lee Yeon-Hwa, eyes sparkling. "Last night. Slurp! Auntie, auntie, and mister. Yesterday..."
"Suddenly, when I went home yesterday... 'Irasshaimase!'[1]"
"Yeeess! He said 'Irasshaimase!' and clapped his hands—then made sushi!"
"Hehehe. Is that so?"
"Yes. Large end rib eye sushi[2]."
That was no ordinary beef sushi.
"Egg sushi. Squid sushi. Tuna belly."
As Kim Ji-Hee enthusiastically recounted her dinner, Lee Yeon-Hwa gently stroked her head and listened, smiling warmly.
People turned their heads at the sound of Kim Ki-Rok's voice coming from the conference room door. He entered, pushing a cart inside.
"Oh? Coffee?" someone remarked.
The cart was stacked with cups of coffee.
"Now then... I, Kim Ki-Rok, Guildmaster of the DG Guild, have brought coffee for everyone. And of course, I've also brought teas and other drinks for those who don't enjoy coffee, so please, help yourselves."
Jang Baek-San was the first to rise and walk over.
"Ah, Baekdusan Guild's Guildmaster, Jang Baek-San! Here's the green tea you've been enjoying lately."
"You've been under a lot of stress, haven't you?"
"So you've been relieving that stress with food."
"So you must be a bit worried about belly fat these days."
Jang Baek-San's eyes widened. How does he know?
"How did you know?" he asked bluntly.
"I'd be stressed too, if my weapon got destroyed while trying to reinforce it to the sixth level at the Reinforcement Shop."
Jang Baek-San stood there stunned as Kim Ki-Rok handed him the green tea, then turned to greet his next guest.
"Oh my! Is that an angel I see?"
"Hehehe! The angel demands... iced chocolate!"
"Huh? Didn't the angel say she wanted citron tea?"
"Oh, but the chocolate drink is mine..."
Kim Ki-Rok let out a weary sigh and handed over his own drink to Kim Ji-Hee.
Kim Ki-Rok clapped again, undeterred by the sharp gazes around him, then picked up the microphone. It was a deeply ingrained habit that many others didn't take too kindly to.
"You were explaining that the clear condition is to rescue the dwarves by defeating the Black Wizards and monsters occupying the Dwarven Mine. You also covered the special rewards," Jang Baek-San replied promptly.
"Ah, so we're still at the very beginning." Googlᴇ search 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭⚑𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮⚑𝕟𝕖𝕥
"You're the one who wasted time on all those tangents!"
"Hmm? Tangents? Everything I said was essential to this meeting. Anyway, getting back on track... As I expected, there's a high chance we'll need to stay inside the Gate for an extended period to clear it."
A Guildmaster from one of the attending guilds raised his hand. "Hmm? Why's that?"
"Because the Black Wizards and monsters have taken over the Dwarven Mine, and the dwarves trapped inside are being forced to work for them. That's why the clear condition is to rescue them," he explained. "But if I were to guess, the Gate won't count as cleared just by wiping out the enemies. It'll probably require ensuring the dwarves' safety first."
"So the Gate clearers will need to defeat the enemies, escape the mine with the dwarves, and move to a safe area?"
"No—we'll likely have to hold a defensive position."
"Do you really think the Black Kingdom created by the Black Wizards stopped at just occupying the Dwarven Mines? Of course not. They've almost certainly taken control of the surrounding areas as well."
Kang Man-Ki backed up Kim Ki-Rok's assessment. "That aligns with what we've concluded. The Dwarven Mine they're occupying is most likely within Black Kingdom territory."
"Exactly. So, the mission won't end with just defeating the occupants. We'll need to reclaim the mine and hold it until reinforcements from the Continental Alliance arrive."
"Hmm..." The president paused, his expression clouding.
The situation was more complicated than expected.
Kang Man-Ki furrowed his brows slightly, glanced at the still-relaxed Kim Ki-Rok, and asked cautiously, "Is there a way to reduce the risk?"
"Yes, there is a way."
Because Kim Ki-Rok was so talkative, Kang Man-Ki had originally hoped to get a quick report directly from the Association Hunters who'd returned from recon. But there was no stopping Kim Ki-Rok once he got going.
The president sighed deeply, ignoring the skeptical looks from the other guild representatives. "Please..."
"Alright! Let's get started. When I first received a request..."
He began again, from the very morning he had received this request. Several people sighed aloud. At least he hadn't started with the Gate's historical background and political context.
"Keep it short. My ears hurt."
"Ehh, let's see. Keep it short..."
Kim Ki-Rok scratched his head, trying to condense what would normally be a lengthy speech. The Guildmasters all nodded or gave Kim Ji-Hee a thumbs-up in support.
"Okay, here's the short version. As soon as I confirmed that rescuing the dwarves was the Gate's clear condition, I instructed my guild members to deliver the news to High Elf Serena. After receiving it, Serena relayed the information to the Continental Alliance and is currently assembling a rescue team that can be deployed as soon as our location is confirmed."
"Oh!" A few people couldn't help but let out impressed exclamations.
Kim Ki-Rok turned to the Association staff seated in front of the laptop. "Please bring up the screen. Here's the original order of operations."
Gate Entry → Black Wizard and Monster Subjugation → Dwarf Rescue → Request for Reinforcements → Reinforcements Depart → Defensive Hold → Reinforcements Arrive
"But with the existence of the Permanent Gate, this sequence has changed."
Request for Reinforcements → Gate Entry → Dwarf Rescue (Location Confirmation) → Reinforcements Depart → Subjugation of Black Wizards and Monsters → Defensive Hold → Reinforcements Arrive
The sequence shifted because they now had a way to contact the Continental Alliance in advance. By moving the reinforcement request to the beginning, their departure could happen much earlier, dramatically reducing arrival time. This change worked in favor of both the dwarves and the Hunters participating in the Gate clear.
"The rescue team will complete their preparations even before we enter the Gate. So as soon as we're inside, our first task is to rescue the dwarves and confirm our operational location."
"I see. We'll have a Hunter stationed at the Gate entrance. As soon as the rescue team confirms the location, someone will immediately exit the Gate and relay the information to the Hunter outside. That Hunter will then enter the Permanent Gate and pass the coordinates to the Continental Alliance."
"Exactly. This method saves us valuable time. Also, thanks to the Permanent Gate, we can now trade with the Temple Alliance, allowing us to purchase large quantities of consumables infused with sacred power."
The Permanent Gate had changed the entire situation. Just the certainty of reinforcement arrival was enough to greatly increase the defense's efficiency.
"This sounds manageable," Kang Man-Ki concluded.
The Guildmasters began exchanging strategies and suggestions.
"How about preparing defensive gear as soon as we enter the Gate?"
"We should also set up traps, using the terrain to our advantage."
"Just a moment, Guildmaster Kim Ki-Rok," Kang Man-Ki interjected, raising his hand. "Is there a chance a Demon might appear?"
"I can't say for certain that there isn't," Kim Ki-Rok replied. "But it's the Black Wizards who need the artisan skills of the dwarves. A Demon has no use for that kind of craftsmanship."
"So even if the Black Wizards feel threatened when we reclaim the mine, the Demon likely won't see it as a threat."
"Correct. And just to note, this comes directly from High Elf Serena."
It meant the information was reliable.
1. A Japanese greeting meaning "welcome," commonly used by chefs or staff when customers enter a restaurant. ☜
2. In Korean, the cut is known as 꽃등심, which directly translates as flower loin. It's a premium cut of beef. ☜