Regressor Instruction Manual

Chapter 1233. Blue Guild’s Youth Center (2)

Miss Kim Mi-Young was human, after all. I was suddenly reminded of that simple truth.

‘I honestly thought she was a machine.’

She wasn't really shadowing me every waking moment, so I couldn’t say for sure, but I was aware that Miss Kim Mi-Young had a grueling daily schedule.

I even felt like she was busier than Ji-Hye noona or me. She would start working early in the morning and oversee almost every operation of the guild. Unless she had a meeting, she’d grab a quick bite for lunch, but she would often skip lunch entirely.

It wasn't like she just sat in her office all day.

When the situation called for it, she’d be the first to go out into the field.

Once she was done with her personal work, she'd gather and organize reports from each department and compile them into a report that would appear on my desk every morning.

By the time all of that was done, the sun was long gone.

If there happened to be a problem in any of those reports, her workday would become even longer.

I was sure she had competent people working for her, but she wasn't the type to ignore even the tiniest mistake. She wasn’t just handling every affair in the Blue Guild. She was also raising two children.

How could she possibly have any time left to herself? Honestly...

‘She’s probably having a hard time raising two kids.’

She was doing her best to raise them. She'd have dinner with her kids and spend some time with them once a week, but that was all. Even then, she would usually go right back to work after dinner, working late into the night.

So, in truth, it was hard to say that she was really spending time with them.

‘Is she checking on them to see how they’re doing in school?’

It felt like she was choosing not to think about it.

Honestly, all of this felt kind of refreshing in a way. It seemed that I had been seeing Miss Kim Mi-Young as someone made of steel, like someone who wouldn’t bleed even if they were stabbed, but it turned out that she was human at the end of the day.

What stood out the most was how she couldn’t seem to trust herself, and the discovery was really surprising to me. She, too, seemed to believe that when it came to matters involving her own children, she wouldn’t be able to keep her composure.

I was sure that was the reason she had chosen to avoid the youth center altogether.

And judging by her expression right now, I was definitely right.

“Do you have anything you’d like to say regarding this?” I asked.

“About the Blue Guild’s Youth Center?” Kim Mi-Young asked.

“Yes,” I answered.

“Well...”

“I heard the place has grown a bit. Some people are even calling it the Blue Guild’s International Academy... and while I hope it’s all just baseless rumors, I’ve also been hearing some troubling rumors. Have you heard anything?” I asked.

‘Looks like she has no idea as well.’

She likely knew that the youth center was growing bit by bit, but she probably felt that it wasn’t her place to bring it up. She wasn't the type of person to suggest reclaiming land for the sake of the academy where her children studied, so she obviously would never suggest renaming it officially and transforming it into a landmark of Lindel.

“Based on your reaction... it looks like you have no idea.” I pointed out.

“I’m sorry,” Kim Mi-Young said.

“No, you don’t need to apologize,” I said.

“I should’ve paid more attention... If there are allegations of corruption, could you kindly explain the situation? I’ll make sure to address it immediately,” Kim Mi-Young requested.

“No, please, it’s fine. It’s impossible to keep everything under control. I wasn’t aware either... No one can be expected to know every trivial problem in every business or branch.

"Actually, someone like you getting all worked up over minor issues is actually a waste of manpower. That’s why the inspection department exists, so... I don’t see why you need to apologize,” I explained.

“I don’t know what to say, sir,” Kim Mi-Young said.

“Wait... I didn’t call you here to punish you. I just wanted to talk,” I clarified.

“...”

“The one thing that kind of disappointed me... was that you seemed to be deliberately turning a blind eye to the youth center,” I said.

“...”

“Were you worried?” I asked.

“...”

“Are you afraid that you'd misuse the power? Are you worried about what you could do?” I asked.

I tried to sound her out, and I saw her lowering her head. She seemed embarrassed. From my point of view, it wasn’t a big deal, but she looked as if her deepest secret had been exposed.

Eventually, she said, “I apologize, but yes, that’s right.”

“It’s fine,” I said.

“Pardon?”

“I’m telling you that it’s okay to want a bit more,” I clarified.

“Ah...”

“I really believe you’re really important in the Blue Guild. Honestly, I’d say you’ve probably done the most to make this place what it is... It might even be harder to find a spot in the Blue Guild where you haven’t touched,” I continued.

“...”

“Calling it a kingdom feels a little cheesy, but you played a major role in building this kingdom. You don’t think I just randomly handed over power and authority to you, do you?” I asked.

“...”

“I didn’t give you power just to bear the responsibility. I gave you power so that you can wield it. You’re qualified, and you're in a position where you must do so. I get that you’re careful... and worried about causing trouble, but there’s absolutely no need to worry.

"A small mistake won’t bring down the walls you’ve built so far...” I explained.

“...”

“I like seeing you every morning, but if you’re too busy with work, feel free to send someone else to report to me. If there’s anyone you don’t like, you can fire them. Please don’t think of your position as frustrating or some kind of prison.

"You won’t be able to work long if you’re so stressed out...” I continued.

“...”

“Don’t hesitate to speak up about whatever you think is necessary, and there is no need to hold back. Whatever it is, I think of you as family, so it’s okay to look out for yourself a bit more. Do you understand?” I asked.

‘I wonder if she got my message.’

I could see her eyes reddening, like she was about to cry. That wasn’t my intention... She probably expected a severe scolding, so she was feeling moved by the unexpected words of support. It felt like her loyalty was growing stronger.

‘This is how things should be.’

We weren't strangers, after all.

When Kim Hyun-Sung took over as the guild master, the jerk locked me in an office and dumped all the work on me. At the time, Kim Mi-Young and I worked together to rebuild the guild.

Miss Kim Mi-Young took that failing guild, bogged down by deep-rooted issues, and made it into what it was right now. Tons of offers came her way because of how competent she was, but she remained fiercely loyal to the guild.

By contribution alone, Miss Kim Mi-Young had done more than that pig Park Deok-Gu.

The fact that Miss Kim Mi-Young still felt hesitant about exerting her power in the guild made me wonder if I hadn't been looking out for her enough.

‘Our team leader isn’t some machine...’

After keeping her head down for a while, she finally said, “Thank you, sir.”

Clap.

“Now, let’s talk,” I said.

“Okay.”

“What do you think we should do with the youth center?” I asked.

“Well...” Kim Mi-Young paused.

“Yes?”

“Well... I made a plan a long time ago... May I step out for a moment?” Kim Mi-Young asked.

“Ah... sure...” I answered.

‘What is it? What did you have in mind?’

Kim Mi-Young left in a hurry. Upon her return, I realized that her plan was indeed turning the Blue Guild’s Youth Center into the Blue Guild’s International Academy. It talked about finding a new site, as the current one couldn't accommodate many students.

The proposal included changing the name, and it outlined the academy’s future goals.

There was no tuition fee, so there wasn’t much talk about generating profits, but the plan explained how it could bring benefits like welfare for the continent and boost the Blue Guild’s brand. It wasn’t a loss, but honestly, it wouldn’t matter even if it were a loss.

In any case, the net profit from the alchemy workshop was sufficient to sustain the school, and investing in the future was never a bad thing.

This was way more valuable than dumping money into Laves, which could fail.

‘Damn, now that I think about it, maybe she didn’t say anything about this because of Laves. Someone's already spending so much money, so how could she bring up a plan like this?’

This applied not only from the perspective of the Democratic Country, but even more so from the standpoint of the transcendent beings overseeing the continent. The greater the number of skilled people capable of pushing the continent forward, the less holy power we would need to invest in it.

In that sense, it wasn’t really a loss. Tangible resources on the continent were important, but what mattered more was the "wealth" that would keep the continent running.

“I think we can move forward with this,” I said.

“Thank you. Regarding the corruption issue...” Kim Mi-Young mentioned.

“Ah, about that... did the guild’s inspection department not say anything?” I asked.

“No, I don’t recall receiving any reports related to that matter,” Kim Mi-Young answered.

“It’s likely just a baseless rumor, then. Apparently, Senator Hanest’s son nearly got expelled from the youth center, but the issue was supposedly covered up with a bribe...

"Of course, the rumor hasn’t spread widely. It's circulating only among the higher-ups...” I explained.

“I see,” Kim Mi-Young replied.

“I think we can definitely go ahead with an investigation if needed. There’s enough reason to get things moving...” I said.

“Do you suspect an issue with the inspection department?” Kim Mi-Young asked.

“If the facility isn’t the problem, then maybe the inspection department is the problem. It was created to prevent issues like this, but now, I can’t help but think that the department has become corrupt.

"It’s a clear sign that the Blue Guild has grown pretty large,” I explained.

“I see.”

“I started seeing strange issues... not exactly serious, but still concerning...” I added.

The issue itself was quite trivial. It wasn’t as serious as someone embezzling funds from the alchemy workshop or problems with the quality of the guild members' supplies.

There weren't any spies stealing the guild’s technology or any major incidents. This was probably just the work of a doting politician who donated a small sum of money to the youth center out of love for his son.

If I were to judge this issue solely by its seriousness, then I could easily disregard it, but unfortunately, I couldn’t do that at all.

‘He that will steal a pin will steal an ox.’

It'd be a tiny incident at first, but that certainly wouldn't be the case the second time around. The Blue Guild had so many corrupt people, so any impurities that could ruin the Blue Guild had to be eliminated quickly.

‘It might not be a big deal once I look into it...’

I still had to take a look. I got younger, so I could have a look at the youth center... Now that I thought about it, I could use this to grant Miss Kim Mi-Young some time off, and it wouldn't be a bad idea at all.

“Miss Kim Mi-Young, I’ll grant you some time off. Would you be interested in reliving your school days?” I asked.

“Excuse me? What do you mean...” Kim Mi-Young asked.

“Can you make two Republic citizenships?” I asked.

“Yes, I can do that, but...” Kim Mi-Young trailed off.

'If I’m going, acting as Jin Cheong’s son might not be so bad.'

‘I’ll need to dye my hair as well.’

The rumored secret child of Commander Jin. That child was none other than Jin-Young.

“What kind of character would you like to play, Miss Kim Mi-Young?” I asked.

“I'm sorry?”