Regressor Instruction Manual

Chapter 1230. At the Continent (4)

Even though the Park-Ki-Ri siblings did their best to lighten the mood at the table, some things just can’t be hidden. It was like trying to cover the sky with one's palm. Not that they were trying to hide it anyway, but it felt like none of the other guild members were eager to face the situation.

Other than that, things were pretty much the same as usual.

As always, people talked nonstop.

“So this is what hyung-nim said to me a long time ago.

“Colonel Smith, do you maintain your mustache every day? Do you go to a shop, or do you do it yourself?”

“...”

“So Mr. Ki-Mo... was really annoying back then.”

“By the way, how are things at the Elf Kingdom? Come to think of it, weren't Hye-Jin noonim and Mr. Elias kind of close?”

“I don’t really want to talk about that.”

“You don’t... have to look so serious... Did that Elias bastard treat you badly or something?”

“S-Sora.”

“Miss Jung Ha-Yan, have some of this.”

“O-Oppa, have you seen Sera today?”

Things were still as noisy and disorganized as ever.

Park Deok-Gu, Ahn Ki-Mo, and Kim Ye-Ri were driving the mood with their pointless jokes.

Sun Hee-Young was quietly eating just like always, and Elena was chuckling while covering her mouth. The table was so large that it was impossible for everyone to be part of the same conversation, yet somehow, it all felt oddly harmonious.

It seemed to be the result of the Park-Ki-Ri siblings sticking their noses everywhere.

They were even chatting casually with Kim Hyun-Sung. I couldn’t tell if they were trying to show that everything was fine on the outside, or if they truly believed the issue was over, but still...

‘It looks like there’s no bad blood between them.’

It was a relief, in its own way. I already knew they weren’t the type to sulk over a single incident, but seeing it with my own eyes was still comforting.

It seemed like there weren't any hard feelings between them, and that, in itself, was enough to suggest that things would start improving soon.

‘They’re just keeping each other in check, that’s all.’

It was almost like they had run a whole simulation for what to do if Kim Hyun-Sung suddenly went rogue and attacked us.

Park Deok-Gu was placed where he could block Kim Hyun-Sung immediately, while Jo Hye-Jin and Yoo Ah-Young were positioned to cut him off if he tried to slip past Park Deok-Gu.

Naturally, the assassins Lee Chang-Ryeol and Park Lian were stationed behind him.

Kim Ye-Ri was free to do whatever she thought would fit the situation.

As for the rearguards like Jung Ha-Yan, they were seated relatively close to me.

They probably thought that Alps and Belier couldn't take on Kim Hyun-Sung, which was why they were positioned far away.

Colonel Smith, who was decent at both mid and ranged combat, was placed right in the center.

At a glance, it looked like nothing, but the layout was way too deliberate to ignore.

Kim Hyun-Sung clearly knew what was going on, but the way he kept smiling as if nothing was wrong made him look a little pitiful.

Thankfully, it seemed like they allowed him to have casual conversations because he was cautiously talking with us, but honestly, even that felt scripted.

‘And the way everything suddenly goes quiet.’

I felt like there was some kind of meaning behind it.

“So... when are you planning on going back to work, Mr. Ki-Young?” Kim Hyun-Sung asked.

“I’m not sure, but with my body looking like this, I think it’s best if I rest for a bit while meeting people. I still need to visit Miss Oscar, Senator Caitlyn, and Father Basel,” I answered.

“That’s good to hear. I was worried that you’d go back to work right away...” he said.

“He can’t do that this time. Even if he says he wants to go back to work, we’re going to stop him. Even when he had time to go on vacation, he cancelled every one of them because something had ended up happening.

"To be honest, I want him to retire,” Park Deok-Gu chimed in.

“You want me to retire already?” I asked.

‘Looks at them trying to convince me to retire.’

“Age has nothing to do with retirement. Sang-Hee noonim retired early and is enjoying her life. I know how much you care and think about the continent, but I often think that it’s time for you to put down those heavy burdens.

"I think the Blue Guild will do just fine without you... and the Democratic Country... has settled, more or less,” Park Deok-Gu explained.

What was with all this nonsense? At the very least, I could say that this place couldn't run properly without me. It wasn’t just the Blue Guild. Even though the continent appeared to be stable, I wasn’t completely at ease, both internally and externally.

Everything looked fine, but it was only because the continent’s symbol was still standing.

What would happen when troublemakers started appearing left and right, and the Honorary Archbishop had already stepped down? While villains would likely refrain from openly threatening the Sacred Democratic Country, some nations would surely face serious issues.

“We're actually at the critical juncture. I have no intention of retiring just yet, so I suggest you don’t bring this topic up again,” I said.

“But—”

“I said no,” I interrupted Park Deok-Gu.

“We’re not stupid either, Mister Ki-Young. We know we’ll face problems if you retire right now... and even if nothing happens in the Democratic Country, something might happen in the Federation, the Alliance, or even the Republic.

"However, you don’t have to take responsibility for everything,” Kim Ye-Ri chimed in.

“Ye-Ri is right, Mr. Lee Ki-Young. I think this is the perfect time,” Ahn Ki-Mo.

“No, it’s not the perfect time. I can assure you that I’m not going to retire. I understand that you’re worried, but I don’t want to retire yet, so that’s why I never brought it up,” I told them.

Knowing full well that trying to persuade me any further was useless, Park Deok-Gu clicked his tongue. “Tsk. I mean, if that’s what you think—”

“I’ll probably rest someday, but that time isn’t now,” I interrupted him.

“We didn’t say it to make you feel bad... We just wanted to see if you were willing to do it. Don’t take it too seriously...” Park Deok-Gu said.

“It’s fine. I know I need to take a break. Thanks for worrying about me,” I said.

“H-Hyung-nim...” he muttered.

“So what are you going to do?” I asked.

“Well... probably the same as you, but after taking a break... I’ll start working out, and... it’s been a while since I’ve been to a dungeon, so I’ll probably visit one...” Park Deok-Gu answered.

“The Blue Guild has some commissions piled up, so...” Kim Ye-Ri reminded him.

“Ah! Right. Ye-Ri is right, hyung-nim. We’ll probably take care of that,” he said.

Hye-Jin was going to keep working on the guild's affairs. Ha-Yan would take a break, but she would definitely start researching the new war gate at the Magic Tower once she was done with her break.

I never made any promises, but a separate position was arranged for Han Sora. Actually, Park Deok-Gu had a relatively easy schedule, as he wasn’t assigned to anything.

‘That’s why they’re telling me to rest.’

Even Kim Ye-Ri and Ahn Ki-Mo had their own position.

As for the rest of the guild members, well... that was obvious.

‘Sun Hee-Young will probably...’

She’d probably help Jo Hye-Jin run the guild, mostly dealing with external contacts.

Colonel Smith, the public relations officer, already looked overwhelmed and was quietly envisioning his bleak future. It was the same for Elena, whose work was similar but with other races.

Since I became younger, I had no plans of leaving the guild, but I was sure Elena would continue to maintain contact with the Elf Kingdom.

Not everyone was going to dive straight into tough tasks, but they’d definitely start chipping away at their backlog bit by bit, except for Colonel Smith, who was overwhelmed with work at the moment.

For now, everyone would spend time making up for the lost time between us, but deep down, they all knew that they couldn’t avoid the challenges ahead.

Since the Blue Guild staff were so competent, there was no real cause for concern, but we had wasted so much time, so it was clear we needed to get things back on track.

Amidst all this, I was the most curious about what Kim Hyun-Sung was going to do.

‘He’s the one who needs to take a break.’

At the Blue Guild, the guild master’s job was pretty much just giving the final approval on all things. Since I was pretty much taking care of everything myself, Kim Hyun-Sung didn’t have much to do.

Usually, he’d bulldoze through stuff like Laves’ city planning or expanding Lindel’s commercial district area, but right now, he didn’t seem up for that kind of work.

Naturally, he started dropping hints here and there.

“What are you going to do... Mr. Hyun-Sung?” I asked.

In the end, the hesitant Kim Hyun-Sung finally said, “Ah... I..."

“Yes?”

“Well...”

After taking a deep breath, he said, “I was going to mention this a bit later, but...”

“Yes?”

“I think it’s best if I tell you now. I’m thinking about getting treatment first.” Kim Hyun-Sung revealed.

“Did you get hurt... somewhere?” I asked.

“No, it’s not that... I feel kind of embarrassed... to tell you this, but as you know, I’m not doing well at the moment. The guild members know this as well. I can’t explain everything that happened in Rohen, but I feel like I’m going through a confusing period.".

“...”

“I’m thinking about getting some outside help for my mental issues,” he added.

“...”

“Although I’ve been ignoring it until now, there’s clearly something wrong with me,” he said.

In other words...

“You’re going to be admitted?’

I looked at Kim Hyun-Sung quietly, and he seemed to find it difficult to even start talking to me. These days, most people had at least one or two mental struggles, so it went without saying that many people here were dealing with their own demons deep inside.

However, openly speaking of one’s own issues and confronting them directly was an entirely different matter.

I could say with certainty that confessing and admitting such problems to everyone required a certain level of determination that only a few people would possess.

‘I’m sure he’s been struggling a bit as well.’

Actually, it wasn't just a bit. Imagine how many problems Kim Hyun-Sung had to have encountered as an ordinary person from the modern day who suddenly found himself entangled with a madman on this chaotic continent.

I was sure he was already aware that the mindset of a modern-day individual wasn't viable here, and he knew that he had to accept it. Of course, only up to a certain point.

Honestly, Kim Hyun-Sung’s mind had always been a mess. It wouldn’t be an overstatement to call him a bundle of psychiatric conditions. He had everything from social anxiety, claustrophobia, and agoraphobia to extreme PTSD.

Furthermore, he exhibited signs of bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and intermittent explosive disorder, all of which were under a broader personality disorder.

Staying near me was assuaging his stress, but it was arguably making things even worse.

Kim Hyun-Sung himself was suspecting that he was experiencing something that resembled schizophrenia. He was questioning things normal people wouldn’t question, and he was believing in things others would never even think about. He was also checking and double-checking reality over and over again.

‘In his case, the symptoms must have worsened a lot over time.’

He was convinced that some unknown person was threatening me.

He was convinced that someone was trying to kill me. He was convinced that the real me was kidnapped, and I was replaced by an impostor.

At first, perhaps he thought he could endure such disorders on his own... but once things escalated to a level where they started causing real harm, it seemed like he and the guild members talked it through and made a decision.

‘Shit, this isn’t because of me, right?’

“I’ll probably leave as early as tomorrow,” Kim Hyun-Sung said.

“What?”

“I heard that a famous doctor from Earth was summoned to the Federation,” Kim Hyun-Sung informed me.

“Wait, I don’t think... you have to go that far... Did I already tell you that it was understandable for you to make mistakes? I don’t remember everything clearly, but what happened in Rohen—”

“It’s not just because of that,” he interrupted me.

“Wait...”

“I’ll make sure this doesn’t get out. Any negative word could end up harming the guild, after all... For now, I’ll have a few sessions... and then consult with the doctor about what to do next, so you don’t have to worry,” he reassured me.

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