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

Seeing that Unahar was still in a funk, Lilith tried to engage him.

“Unahar, do you want to try this? It’s some really delicious seasoned asparagus. Here, bring your plate over and take some.”

“…….”

Unahar didn’t respond, and I sensed that things might take a turn for the worse. I put my arm around Lilith’s shoulders.

“Lilith, good effort, but wrong topic. The rest of us are in danger. If you don’t want to see our table explode, you should give that asparagus to Gio instead of Unahar.”

I then turned my attention to Akata on my right.

He was bravely emptying a plate filled with more food than usual.

I transferred some salad from Akata’s plate to mine and gave him my chicken in exchange.

“You have too many vegetables. Want to trade? You should eat more meat, not just greens.”

Meanwhile, Kanel had switched to ‘thinking on’ mode, trying to figure out the cause of Unahar’s odd behavior. He scanned the dining hall with a scrutinizing eye.

It seemed I needed to provide some context for Unahar’s behavior, so I took on the responsibility as the guild leader.

“Unahar is just feeling a bit down. Don’t bother him. He accidentally hurt me during training yesterday and feels guilty.”

Well, he did hurt me. Not physically, but mentally.

“That’s why he can’t look at your face, Rudel,” Lilith nodded, while Akata, usually gentle, suddenly grasped my hand with his long, white fingers.

His typically docile eyes were now filled with malice, glaring at Unahar across the table.

“Akata, it’s not right to glare at Unahar over an accident that happened during training. We’re all comrades.”

As I gently tried to reason with Akata, Gio, who was happily receiving food from Lilith, muttered nonchalantly.

“Why be down about that? I’ve broken Rudel’s leg three times during unique ability training.”

Clatter.

Suddenly, a spoon clattered noisily to the floor.

For the first time today, Unahar’s slumped posture straightened, and he moved smoothly around Kanel to stand behind Gio.

If Gio’s comment had been intended to provoke a reaction from Unahar, it had been wildly successful.

Unahar, do I need to say the same thing to you? Don’t blame your comrades for accidents that happen during training.

“Going to grab him by the collar? That’s not fair! Rudel burned me all over, like, five times!”

With that explanation, Unahar returned to being the quiet man who couldn’t look at my face. He sat back in his original spot, showing us his back once more.

He quickly finished his meal and was the first to get up.

“Unahar, wait a moment.”

I called out before he could return his dishes. He noticeably flinched at my voice.

“There’s another announcement before the 4th round. I’ll announce it now.”

If I had called him for a casual chat, Unahar would have just walked away. But since it was an official announcement from the guild leader, he had no choice but to sit back down, though he still couldn’t make eye contact with me.

“Would you read the announcement I just sent to your status window?”

[Guild Fortress Filming Event!]

This event is a bonus event held briefly before the 4th round.

Each guild will use the provided filming mode to create a video about their guild members’ daily lives, lasting about 10 minutes. There are no restrictions on the video’s content.

The video will be reflected in the ‘Comments’, and bonus points and experience will be awarded based on the ‘Comments’ response.

Of course.

Real-world users must have pestered the game company about what life inside the fortress was like for the game characters.

I knew that the fortress’s interior would eventually be revealed, but I didn’t expect them to provide this kind of sneak peek service to users so soon.

‘Now that other characters know that the reaction to these comments benefits them, they might be eager to participate in this event.’

The game company’s skill in linking our characters with real-world users so naturally, though somewhat forcibly, was impressive.

The 10-minute video could be edited or presented as a documentary-style daily life with no restrictions.

The important thing was to showcase the guild’s character. It would also be a chance to give viewers a glimpse of the fortress’s interior, which had been unseen until now.

“How about we actively write a script?” Kanel suggested.

But I shook my head.

“No, no. We don’t want anything contrived. You, I, and Unahar might be able to act decently, but not everyone in our guild is good at acting.”

Lilith flinched at that.

“Let’s just have fun playing board games in the arcade together. I think our charm is in our relaxed, close-knit, family-like atmosphere where we exchange casual jokes.”

“I agree,” Kanel nodded, and the decision was made quickly.

Right before the 4th round, we suddenly had to submit a video.

This event, which revealed the characters’ everyday lives instead of the usual bloody battles of the rounds, was actually a great PR opportunity.

In fact, this 10-minute video could be more important than a round itself. It could significantly influence the popularity vote.

Even so, our guild decided to spend the time on training instead and just roughly film the video.

We decided to turn on the camera mode and record a lively board game session to upload.

“There’s a game where you roll dice to become a landowner and collect tolls to bankrupt your opponents.”

“That sounds fun. Let’s do it!”

“The loser has to dance or do something cute.”

“Who decides these punishments?”

I did. For the viewers’ entertainment.

Anyway, the filming shouldn’t be difficult at all.

Without any acting, we could easily gather votes for the popularity poll just with the chemistry we’ve already established.

However, the unexpected issue that arose since yesterday was…

As soon as the short meeting ended, Unahar quickly got up and disappeared. He hadn’t said a word during the meeting.

He avoided eye contact with me the whole time, looking guilty.

I’ve already forgotten about the wolf incident, seriously…

It was an unintentional mistake, yet he seems so ashamed.

As the guild leader, I felt responsible, but also, as his comrade, I felt a bit sorry for him.

I decided that before we film the video this afternoon, I need to properly resolve things with Unahar.

* * *

The time between rounds, officially called “Cooling Time,” always feels insufficient, no matter how long it is.

Every character might feel differently, but personally, I always feel like I need more time during this Cooling Time.

It’s not that I feel unprepared or rushed into the next round. I’m always mentally ready.

But just like how you always wish for a few more days to study when the exam day finally arrives, there’s always a sense of wanting more time.

Real-world users probably have no idea how hard we characters work.

We have to do basic stat exercises, train our unique abilities, eat, and even do skin care (because we need to look good for the viewers).

We hardly have any time to sit and relax, and now there’s an additional regular schedule.

Each character can take up to 2 courses (including subordinates):

-Academics

-Music

-Physical Education

…

I wish those users could see how much effort we put in behind the VR screen.

It would be great if learning a new skill in this game was as simple as selecting “Learn New Skill” and hearing a cheerful sound as the skill is automatically acquired.

Physical Education:

-Martial Arts: Taekwondo

-Martial Arts: Boxing

-Swordsmanship

-Archery

-Spearmanship

…

We have to learn all of these things one by one ourselves…

Why is it that, even though we’re game characters, we have to toil like real humans? Out of sheer frustration, I’m determined to uncover the secrets of this game.

It’s already tough trying to boost my unique ability stats, and now the damned system has tacked on formal education! It’s like struggling with a major and then being told to take elective courses too.

But skipping it would be a disadvantage. Other guilds are surely doing it.

Just like how students in Korea, unfortunately, fall behind without extra-curricular education on top of their regular studies…

To get back on track, if we signed up for classes, we could take them inside the guild fortress.

An NPC instructor would guide us individually. These AI trainers, devoid of emotions, were incredibly tough.

Currently, Lilith is taking Judo for self-defense, Kanel is learning shooting, and after much consideration, Unahar and I chose Taekwondo. Gio is learning swordsmanship.

I haven’t assigned Akata to any classes yet, but when I do, I plan to have him join me in Taekwondo.

We can take up to two classes each, but we’ve only chosen one because the other slot is reserved for a mandatory subject.

Mandatory Training:

-Dance/Breakdancing

Why dance…? Are we debuting as idols?

I was puzzled when I first saw the list.

But upon reflection, for characters like us, who need to provide entertainment, flashy dance moves like breakdancing are essential.

Executing jaw-dropping, stylish actions during battles would be a huge advantage.

Realizing this, I went from being uninterested to being one of the most enthusiastic participants in the dance classes.

“Haha! Kanel, you really have two left feet.”

“It’s amazing that he doesn’t even realize he’s out of sync.”

Taking the same class together allowed the five of us to bond more during shared activities.

So, in conclusion:

I plan to use our shared dance class to reconcile with Unahar.