The D-Rank Guild Master of the No. 1 Guild

“Are you serious? We just had a ‘Guild Feature Special’ yesterday, and now this?

The system admins told us to rest before the Second Generation War starts, so why are they pushing the characters so hard?

This event is only open to guild leaders. Players will form teams and perform their roles in the given virtual field. There are no rankings, but additional points will be awarded if the team achieves their joint objectives. Further details about the virtual world will be provided in a subsequent notice.

‘Oh… so it’s a point-scoring game?’

Even if we come in last, there’s no loss.

And if it’s just me, the guild leader, who has to do the work while letting my guild members rest, then that’s fine!

But guild leaders need to form teams to achieve joint objectives.

Does this mean we all have to get along harmoniously, at least for this event round?

As a guild leader with allied guilds, I guess I have an advantage? Please, just don’t let me be teamed up with Yudirei…

After finishing my conversation with the unit commander, I considered heading up to the fortress, but decided to wait a bit, thinking Akata might have finished his conversation.

However, he showed no signs of coming out.

‘He must be having a really interesting conversation with Nahean? Fine, then. I should think about the event round.’

Feeling slightly hurt, I turned sharply and headed up to the fortress.

Anyway, if I want to get information about the event round, talking to our guild members would be useless.

Should I contact another guild leader in the same position? In times like these, the Blue Saint, who has no wariness, would be extremely useful…

Ding.

At that moment, a guild leader communication alert sounded. It was an incoming message.

Looks like I can’t catch a break.

Ice Fortress – Aleon Communication

Pretty fast. Must have seen the notice and contacted me.

I quietly went up to the perfect lookout spot for a private conversation and took the call.

[“Rudel, how have you been? I’m so delighted to hear your voice on such a sunny morning.”]

“Of course you are. You usually only contact me at night.”

I replied as I stretched out on the lookout chair.

At the same time, I heard Aleon slump down somewhere, followed by a familiar chuckle mixed with a slight intake of breath.

[“If you’re busy, you don’t have to take any of my calls. But since you take more than half, how could I not be happy!”]

“Half the time I don’t answer because I’m either in night training or sleeping…”

So, what’s the purpose of your call? I was certain it was about the event round, but I urged him to get to the point quickly.

However, Aleon’s words were completely unexpected.

[“I’ve been longing to make this proposal to you. It’s nothing urgent, but since it’s a training prohibition period, you must have some free time. So, Rudel, would you meet me?”]

Before I could respond, the ever-persistent Ice Saint quickly added,

[“How about the teahouse in the shopping district? I want to spend some time with you. What do you think?”]

Aleon is a man who knows how to wield his peculiar charm in every direction.

Whether he realizes it or not.

Just listen to his cheerful voice. If I refuse, how disappointed would he be?

In short, a request from the Blue Saint is hard to refuse even for the coldest person.

Well, there’s no particular reason not to meet. We can discuss the event round face-to-face at the teahouse.

Having a face-to-face meeting would be advantageous for me as I can read his expressions.

Plus, it’s important to occasionally observe a rival’s actions.

“Alright. How about 2 PM at the shopping district?”

When I readily accepted the proposal, Aleon excitedly expressed his gratitude in a rapid stream of words.

I barely managed to calm him down before ending the communication.

After getting ready, I headed to the shopping district in time for our appointment. In the distance, a charming teahouse basking in the midday sun came into view.

[Live]

I hadn’t noticed it before, but now that I’m in the shopping district again, a new indicator appeared on my status window.

Was this place always open to viewers? Since when did it change?

I found related new information in the status window.

‘The shopping district’ is a space that provides various entertainments for players. If you create special and memorable scenes, you will receive comments and a small amount of sponsorship points.

Aha.

So, because of events like my first meeting with Blance at the shop, they decided to change their policy later.

Alright, make lots of money by uploading the video of my meeting with Aleon. Developers, don’t let the game fail; if you go down, we all go down.

As I looked around, I raised my hand towards the saint drawing everyone’s attention at the teahouse entrance.

But…

“What on earth is he wearing? Why is he in a suit?”

I stood there, looking at Aleon in the most dashing attire I had ever seen him in. Next to him was Ifrea, fussing over his bright hair as if she were his stylist. Our eyes met.

“Ah.”

As Ifrea discreetly stepped back, the saint greeted me with a broad smile.

“Rudel, it’s wonderful to see you alone again!”

…Unahar, Akata, and now Aleon. Their reactions are always so grand and enthusiastic that I sometimes find myself at a loss for words. I just don’t know how to respond.

Meanwhile, Ifrea straightened Aleon’s tie one last time and quietly reminded her guild leader.

“Please contact me when you’re done.”

“Understood.”

As Ifrea headed towards the exit of the shopping district, she passed close by me. Just before she walked past, she gave a slight nod and said,

“Please take care of him.”

…Take care of him? Is Aleon here for a matchmaking session? Did Ifrea just ask me to look after him? It reminds me of those marriage alliance talks from before. But, come on, that can’t be it. Aleon probably just dressed up because it’s a rare outing. Let’s not jump to strange conclusions.

Inside, we found a table in a corner and sat down, facing each other. In my short character life, I’ve never regretted being average-looking, but this is one of those rare moments where it feels a bit embarrassing.

When the person across the table from you is extremely handsome, and you’re just wearing knee-length pants and a short-sleeve shirt, it feels a bit out of place.

“Congratulations on being number one. I knew it would be you.”

I offered a sincere congratulatory remark, trying to appear unfazed. Aleon followed my lead with a bright smile.

“I saw a comment saying that people are looking forward to a direct confrontation between Gio and me, right under you.”

Surprisingly, it seems Ifrea showed Aleon that inappropriate comment as is. Is this part of her “educate Aleon about the world” mission?

At that moment, a faceless NPC employee came to take our order.

“One milk coffee. And you?”

“I’ll have lemon tea, with plenty of ice, please.”

The employee jotted down our order with a pen.

But can we trust this employee? Is it safe, or will they put poison in our drinks as part of an event?

Or could it be that other patrons in the teahouse might poison our drinks in the meantime? With this highly reasonable suspicion in mind, my gaze wandered, only to be brought back by the snap of Aleon’s fingers right in front of me.

“The taste of the lemon tea you gave me in the cave is unforgettable. Even now, my favorite drink is lemon tea,” he said.

As our eyes met, the saint smiled radiantly, like a blooming ice flower. His bright smile was just as I remembered from our first meeting. Seeing him like that made a smile appear on my face as well.

From then on, I focused solely on our conversation, chatting about trivial matters. Mostly, it was Aleon babbling about his recent activities like a child. He complained about the harsh training he underwent to hone his ice abilities and confessed how much he missed me during that time.

But should he be talking so openly about his training? Even though we’re allies, I’m still a member of a different guild.

“Aleon, what if you accidentally reveal some confidential information about your guild?”

He is still so pure and trusting. I have to give him a bit of a reality check.

“Do you think I’ll just forget and ignore any confidential information I hear? No way. I’ll definitely listen and keep it for future reference. Sorry, but unlike your expectations, I’m a pretty worldly person.”

I said something that would shock Aleon, and then I winked and smiled mischievously. But instead of getting the hint, he just returned a bright smile. I narrowed my eyes.

“Of course, I understand your point. But it’s okay. I trust you no matter what kind of person you are.”

“Really? Then can you tell me more about your ice abilities?”

“I can’t. Ifrea would scold me.”

Looks like Aleon has learned how to evade skillfully. He dodged the question smoothly with a light laugh. It seems that everyone, all characters, grow and change over time. 

I need to strive harder too. If I want to achieve my goals and surpass my formidable rivals.

“Speaking of which, I heard a lot of new players will be recruited for the Second Generation War. This current rest period is for preparing for that,” Aleon said, surprisingly bringing up a more serious topic than the event round.