Eyes on Prize!

Kim Hyunsung's expression showed that he was definitely in a bad mood.

"There is no need to apologize, Kee," Kim Hyunsung said.

"WoW Really!?" I replied.

"Kee Miyoung did nothing wrong. No, even if he did, Miss Yura does not have the right to point out his fault," Kim Hyunsung asserted.

As I watched the exchange, I thought to myself, 'Ah, Hyunsung... You're doing a great job.'

"Seriously, Kee is a Blue Guild party member. If he made a mistake, I would have told him first. I don't know why Miss Yura has a problem with our party member's behavior, but this just isn't right," Kim Hyunsung continued.

I hadn't expected Kim Hyunsung to intervene like this. I had been calculating how to gain the group's sympathy by pitting Yura against me. She had indeed made a mistake in approaching me so brashly.

My loyalty was to the Blue Guild, which made Kim Hyunsung responsible for me. Yura had no right to meddle in our inter party affairs.

From an outsider's perspective, Jung Yura might have been trying to expand her influence over her group members, but Kim Hyunsung clearly wasn't having any of it. For him, it was taboo to interfere too much in the affairs of other party members.

'That means Yura isn't giving us the respect we deserve,' I thought.

In essence, Kim Hyunsung's defensive stance seemed to convey, 'Who are you, and why are you meddling with my charge?'

This turn of events was more pleasurable than I had thought.

I had thought that Choi Young-ki would come to my defense, but seeing Hyunsung take up the mantle was even better.

"Very good, Hyunsung," I silently praised him. Everything was going according to plan.

Playing the victim was second nature to me at this point.

"Both Kim Hyunsung and Yura are speaking from a senior standpoint. She had a point, so I don't think she meant to offend anyone..." I attempted to meditate.

"No, Kee Miyoung. No matter how wrong you may have behaved, she had no right to approach it this way," Kim Hyunsung replied firmly.

"I must have done something wrong..." I seemed unsure.

"Let me be clear, Kee. You did nothing wrong," Kim Hyunsung reassured.

I couldn't help but smile. Aside from witnessing the embarrassment on Jung Yura's face, I could tell that the rest of our group was starting to disapprove of her. Slowly, her influence was dwindling to the point of nonexistence.

'That's what you get for provoking me,' I thought.

At this point, other group members began to approach me to offer words of comfort.

"I don't know if Kee is inexperienced, but Hyunsung is right. If you have anything to say to Mr. Kee, it's only proper to consult with the party leader first. That way, we can resolve the matter more efficiently."

"This isn't it. No matter how many faults you find in a person, you must still exercise restraint."

"Blue's party is said to be in a learning position due to their inexperience, but they are trying their best to prove their worth. The Black Swan Guild's behavior is really hard to comprehend."

The Magic Guild members had started to criticize the Black Swan members' lack of manners.

"Mr. Kee did nothing wrong. In fact, I believe he worked hard to create a positive atmosphere during the mission."

"That's right. It's not easy to proceed in such an awkward atmosphere. Fighting and reproaching won't lead us anywhere."

"Communication is vital. Honestly, what is Yura doing?"

"Ugh..." Even the Red Mercenary members, who were usually composed, began to speak up.

"Yura, isn't this a bit harsh? As a party assigned to an expedition together, it's best that we maintain good relations."

"Ugh..." Direct accusations pierced Jung Yura like sharpened arrows.

As I had anticipated, she had picked the wrong person to quarrel with. With just one provocation, her carefully-crafted image had shattered.

"Are you hurt?" Jung Hayan asked.

"Huh. I'm okay, Hayan. It's no big deal."

"What exactly happened to you?" Sun Hee-young inquired.

"I'm okay, Sun Hee-young. Please don't worry."

It might have been more effective if Jung Yura had physically harmed me, but I knew she wouldn't be that reckless.

Regardless, it was only fair that I emerged from the situation unscathed. If I hadn't, Jung Hayan might have been planning an assassination attempt on Jung Yura. The situation had already turned out as well as it could have. Yura was shouldering all the blame, while I was basking in comfort.

Honestly, I was curious about how she would react, but the safest path for her had already been determined.

'Admit your mistake and move on.'

While it was indeed the best course of action, it didn't guarantee a favorable outcome for her. She might earn forgiveness, but by bowing down in submission, she would lose her influence.

She had to maintain the appearance of still caring for the expedition, so this was the only viable course of action. In essence, she needed to strike a middle ground.

It seemed Yura was contemplating the same tactic.

"I'm sorry," she finally apologized, though she was clearly struggling to hide her anger.

'What a foolish woman,' I thought.

"I apologize for not discussing it with you beforehand, Mr. Hyunsung. And I'm sorry to Mr. Kee, whom I may have hurt with my sudden reproach."

"Then..."

"I suppose I was somewhat insensitive. But I felt the need to say something. I thought he was being too complacent. In a typical expedition, this wouldn't be a concern, but..."

'Ah, she's still making a fool of herself.'

"As a seasoned senior, I believed I had to speak up. Of course, I acknowledge that my execution was flawed."

"I don't understand why Jung Yura has been concentrating so much on correcting him. Although we first made a mistake, we have more than made up for it and haven't made any since. "

Kim Hyunsung was handling this situation far more efficiently than I had expected.

In essence, we had successfully portrayed Jung Yura as an arrogant senior who couldn't let go of a single mistake we made. However, at least she had the decency to feel remorse for her actions.

Unsurprisingly, voices of dissent began to arise among the other Black Swan members.

"Our tankers have been looking out for Blue Guild quite a bit. Without them, our burdens would have been even greater."

"And what about the archer kid? It was risky bringing her along."

"They even brought in a non-combat member, an alchemist, to the party!"

Naturally, opposing viewpoints began to surface during this dispute.

"Although that's true, we can't say they've been hindering us. In fact, Miss Hayan has eliminated many enemies, and Miss Sun Hee-young has been a great help multiple times."

"That's correct. We can't fault them for doing their best to assist."

The situation wasn't even that controversial, yet the discussion was becoming heated. I wouldn't have wanted to be in Jung Yura's shoes at this point.

I pondered my next response when Kim Hyunsung's expression hardened.

'Ah...' Even if Kim Hyunsung was the embodiment of patience, it was only natural for him to feel anger. Hyunsung might not have been well-versed in political maneuvering, but he knew when our party was being criticized.

"I hope this won't happen again. If you have anything to say to our party, you can address it through me." Kim Hyunsung said.

"Yes, of course. I'm really sorry, Mr. Hyunsung. And I'm very sorry for the Blue Guild members who might have struggled. I'm particularly sorry for Kee Miyoung."

"Don't worry about it... I was just a bit embarrassed."

"I was surprised too. I didn't expect you to be hurt by what I said... Let's talk separately later."

"Don't worry about it. It's all good."

While we had resolved the dispute, Jung Yura had lost her influence. The moment she lost the group's approval was when she picked a fight with me.

In other words, she had made it seem like she was playing the role of a villain for the sake of the expedition's safety. However, her execution was less than stellar.

'But I won't give her the chance to recover,' I thought.

Outwardly, Yura appeared composed, but I knew she was secretly relieved to have escaped a checkmate position. It should have ended here, but Kim Hyunsung had a different perspective.

"Could everyone please gather for a moment?"

"Yes, of course." Replied the people.

As they realized that he had more to say, the others gathered around. Kim Hyunsung surveyed the group before speaking.

"I sincerely apologize for hindering all of you with our inexperience."

"No, no, you shouldn't apologize."

"No, I must. I insisted that we join this expedition for the experience, but I didn't anticipate Kee Miyoung being treated this way."

'I wasn't treated poorly...'

"I don't believe this was a wasted opportunity. Our party has learned a great deal during this expedition."

"Yeah, that's true."

"From now on, this will never happen again."

I knew that Kim Hyunsung was a responsible leader. Watching him bite his lip with determination, I realized that he had a plan in mind.

"I'll adjust our position slightly. I'll take a more forward stance. Mr. Deokgu can continue as usual. The timing for using magic will also change moving forward. Miss Hee-young, please focus more on Deokgu. You can pretend the other party members don't exist. Ye-ri will continue as before."

"Yes, understood."

"Jung Hayan, try to increase your magical power a bit more. Hee-young can keep an eye on Deok-gu."

Kim Hyunsung's leadership and charisma were the reasons he commanded such respect. Even I felt a sense of admiration as I watched him.

'Ah...'

Only then did I realize what he had been thinking. Until now, we hadn't been at the forefront. I wasn't sure why, but I could think of several reasons.

Our party had been attracting too much attention, and this constant spotlight was hindering our ability to gain experience effectively.

'Thank you for getting us back on track.'

It seemed I wasn't the only one eager to prove Jung Yura wrong. Kim Hyunsung appeared highly motivated at this point.