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

[After the conclusion of the 2nd Generation Selection and Headhunting Rounds in Round 5, today marks the announcement of the content for the first Guild War of the 2nd Generation in Round 6. To make the announcement, each guild leader should gather at the shop with one guild member.]

“A sudden face-to-face announcement? The system must be putting on a show because the 2nd-generation players are here. Hmph, causing a fuss over people whose faces we don’t even know.”

Some character, known to me only by name, grumbled as he passed by. Watching his back, I muttered to myself.

‘The unfamiliar faces around here must be the 2nd generation. Boldly taking shots already.’

It seems that tensions between the 1st and 2nd generations are already brewing.

The system (GM) had always favored remote announcements, so why gather players at the shop now?

I think I understand the intent.

It’s not just about the announcement for Round 6.

This is a chance for the 1st and 2nd generations to meet before the guild wars begin in earnest.

While most of the 1st generation feels a sense of crisis with the emergence of new powers and is keeping quiet, I find it all quite interesting.

Seeing the same characters every round was getting a bit dull, so this adds just the right amount of tension. 

How thrilling would it be to secure the top spot among these doubled guilds?

Since the last event round, I’ve been less afraid of Yudirei, so this time, I boldly entered the center of the shop.

Last time, I came with Unahar, but this time, I wanted to show the viewers a different chemistry, so I brought Kanel instead.

“Let’s go.”

He was about to head out in a hideous green outfit that looked like a middle school gym uniform, so I took it off him and put it on myself.

“No, no. The shabby look is my thing. Don’t steal my concept.”

“Rudel never looks shabby, no matter what you wear.”

“Really? Then, is there any outfit that can make me look even shabbier?”

A caddy like no other in the world.

A top-tier ranker who usually looks like a shabby neighborhood bum?

At least I won’t look too much like that character, Runehan.

Surely, there’s no one else who would wear such rags except me?

Anyway, Kanel ended up in a white shirt and jeans since I took his clothes. It was all according to plan.

Unlike Unahar, who always dresses up, Kanel doesn’t care about dressing up, so he’s relatively under the radar, but viewers should notice Kanel’s good looks too.

So, there I stood, dressed in something like a sack, with crumpled shoes, making a ridiculous sight.

Standing next to the tall and handsome Kanel made me look even more shabby, but at least I was confident, and Kanel wasn’t embarrassed by me.

The 2nd generation characters clearly look like newbies. You can tell just by their wide eyes, gawking at the shop.

“Who’s Rudel? I wanted to see that player.”

Among the chatter, this line caught my attention.

“Where is the guild leader who supposedly led the guild to first place despite having the fewest members in the previous generation’s guild war?”

A 2nd-generation character wandered around, looking for me while I stood right in front of him.

That’s me. Why can’t he recognize me?

Is it because of my clothes? Or does he simply not believe that someone so ordinary could be the leader of the top guild in the last guild war?

Thanks to Instructor Rudel’s bromides, I wondered if I was being used as a comic relief character by the users.

My dignity…

At that moment, a voice from behind grabbed my attention.

It was a voice I’d heard so much during the 2nd-generation selection tournament that I had memorized it. And the voice of the fierce lioness beside him was also familiar.

“You idiot, Runehan. There’s no fashion disaster worse than you.”

“Look, there’s a deep meaning behind the way I dress.”

“What’s the deep meaning behind wearing that rag? Let’s hear it.”

“It’s to help you relax~.”

“The guild leader looks so shabby that it’s embarrassing?”

“Yeah, yeah. How could someone like you understand my profound thoughts, Junias?”

…This is a coincidence.

No matter how much a character resembles me, it doesn’t make sense for him to dress in the exact same shabby concept. It must be a coincidence.

If I turn around now, the character they jokingly call ‘2nd-generation Rudel’ or ‘male Rudel’ will be standing there.

The character I had observed from the screen throughout the 2nd-generation selection tournament.

I just need to turn around…

But something seemed to hold my feet in place.

What if, hypothetically, I had somehow teleported into reality as Rudel and ended up in front of the viewers who were humans?

Would they feel the same confusion I am experiencing now?

This is quite surreal.

Meeting a character in person that I’ve only seen on screen feels like breaking the fourth wall, doesn’t it?

“…?”

Junias noticed me first. She immediately nudged Runehan, who was dressed like a sack of rice, with her elbow.

“Hey, there’s a girl who looks like you. I saw her in the 1st-generation videos.”

Then the man’s black eyes met mine.

I can confidently say I remained expressionless, but my doppelganger, Runehan, had an ambiguous expression.

It was hard to tell if he was pleased or annoyed.

“That poor girl looks just like you,” Junias snickered, her blunt nature evident. I let it slide.

But Kanel didn’t seem as willing to let it go.

He walked over, and instead of grabbing Junias by the collar, he bowed his head to me and murmured deliberately loud enough for them to hear, “Come over here.”

“That’s Rudel’s knockoff. Even more unimpressive in person.”

“What? Hey, you black punk. Did you finish your piece?”

Junias flared up, rolling up her sleeves. Despite being half Kanel’s height, she seemed very confident in her physical abilities.

She had just been insulting Runehan herself. Maybe she doesn’t mind her own jabs, but can’t stand it when others join in.

Before things could escalate into a fight before the 2nd-generation guild war even began, I gently blocked Kanel with my arm.

Even if the sleeves of my shabby green tracksuit flapped, I’d like to think my move looked somewhat dignified.

I gave Runehan a nod of acknowledgment.

‘What choice do we have? The adults should get along before the kids start fighting. Don’t you think?’

I conveyed this with my eyes, without smiling, just softening my gaze a bit.

Then, surprisingly, Runehan began walking directly towards me, as if to formally greet me.

Buzz.

The shop’s speaker hummed before an announcement came through.

[Everyone gathered in the shop, please pay attention to the broadcast.]

“So, you’re Rudel. I’ve heard a lot about you. The guild leader who took first place in the 1st generation. And, you resemble me more than I imagined.”

[The title of the first guild war for the 2nd generation in Round 6 is ‘Combat War’!]

Humans have two ears, but they aren’t designed to listen to two things at once.

I was momentarily confused before I finally spoke to Runehan.

“Sorry, but let’s talk after the broadcast. You need to hear the round announcement, too, right?”

I gave Kanel a quick glance.

You make sure to listen carefully and remember every detail.

Kanel mouthed a small ‘Understood.’ and stopped his staring contest with Junias.

“…”

Runehan didn’t respond to my words. His head was slightly bowed, his bangs covering his eyes, making it hard to read his expression.

Moments later, he walked past me, brushing by as he spoke.

“Enjoy it while you can. You’ll soon be pushed aside and fall.”

His voice clearly reached my ear.

Runehan then walked away, taking Junias with him.

[We will now announce the rules for the Combat War.]

While Kanel diligently noted down the rules in my stead, I stood there with a ‘What the hell was that?’ expression.

Kanel hadn’t heard Runehan’s comment.

If he had, he wouldn’t have stayed calm.

I never expected such a low blow from someone with a face like mine. It was so unexpected that I wondered if I had misheard.

Are the viewers watching this? I just got stabbed in the back while wide awake.

It can’t just be because we’re wearing similar clothes.

“End of the world, end of the world. Kids these days are no joke…”

I tried to brush off the situation with a mock surprise at Runehan’s provocation, making a comment about ‘kids these days’ for the viewers to hear, even if Runehan had already left.

* * *

The Meadow Guild’s fortress was one of the most distinctive designs ever, reflecting the guild leader’s unconventional taste.

While it was rare for a guild’s fortress to be made up of a single building, the entirety of ‘Meadow’ was an expansive grassy ranch. The communal facilities were housed in a windmill in the center of the ranch, and individual rooms were scattered as separate cabins.

“Did you properly grasp the round announcement?”

Garam, who was sunbathing on the grass, acknowledged Runehan’s arrival.

He wore a half-mask Runehan had made to cover one disfigured side of his face.

Hearing the commotion outside, Tian, who had been hammering iron in the blacksmith shop, untied the sweat-soaked cloth from her head and came out.

“…”

Without greeting anyone, Runehan walked straight to Garam and dropped his head onto Garam’s shoulder.

Garam looked down at him with a ‘What’s wrong with you?’ expression but didn’t push him away.

He gestured with his eyes for Tian to go back inside, and she did, understanding the cue.

Even though there was a subtle tension between Runehan and Tian, sometimes there were things one could only confide to a friend.

“What’s wrong? Talk to me.”

“…I said something to Rudel that would upset her.”