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

Upon hearing those words, a slight furrow appeared on Garam’s forehead.

“The girl who looks like you? You met her at the shop? So, how did you feel afterward?”

It was hard to imagine someone as affable as Runehan making Rudel uncomfortable.

However, regardless of what was said, it was clear that Runehan deeply regretted his words.

Garam anticipated this and asked.

“…Confused.”

But Runehan’s emotions were somewhat unexpected. He hid his face in Garam’s shoulder and continued speaking.

“They called me the ‘male Rudel,’ said I looked too much like her. I heard her name more often than mine in the comments, but it didn’t bother me. So why did I get so angry as soon as I saw her? It felt like it was my destiny to hate Rudel…”

Garam felt a strange sensation and clenched his fists.

It felt like a cold wind had blown across the back of his neck.

“I feel like I have to make Rudel kneel before me, as if it’s my mission. Why?”

Runehan kept repeating himself, unable to make sense of his feelings.

Garam looked down at him with a stern face, then placed a hand on his shoulder.

He offered his version of comfort.

“She’s your rival, right? Instead of being confused, channel that feeling into determination for the next round.”

* * *

Even after returning to the fortress, Runehan’s words stayed in my mind.

It bothered me so much that I went straight to the dining hall and downed a glass of cold water.

Only after setting the glass down did I finally start to understand his mindset.

Is this a new kind of provocation?

‘Yeah, that could be it. Or rather, it must be. If he resembles me, he can’t be the game’s top handsome character, but he shouldn’t be a fool either, right?’

The more I thought about it, the more my anger simmered.

Unbelievable. Does he really think I’ll lose to him? That doesn’t make sense. I can’t be lacking compared to Runehan in any way.

Of course, I acknowledge that Garam, Junias, and Tian, the main members of the Meadow Guild, are formidable new characters.

But I can’t see my comrades losing to them, either in combat or in appeal.

I recalled the cold face of the man who glared at me last.

It seemed like he hated me intensely, even though I hadn’t given him any reason to hold a grudge.

Maybe it’s an instinctive dislike.

‘Well, from Runehan’s perspective, it makes sense… Having someone with a similar backstory to his before he was even born must be frustrating.’

But I’m a victim too, right? In the end, I was here first.

Up until now, I tried to avoid thinking this way, but after seeing Runehan’s hostile behavior in person, I started feeling a growing sense of crisis. Could it be that the system intentionally created a character to check my top position? Are they blatantly trying to target us?

Lost in these thoughts, I sat in a corner of the dining hall, resting my chin on my hand, meditating. Some of the guild members seemed like they wanted to ask what was on my mind but wisely kept their distance. They know not to disturb me when I’m deep in thought.

‘…Runehan seems to confide in his comrades about his grievances and difficulties, receiving comfort in return.’

At that moment, Akata quietly sat down across from me. He didn’t seem like he intended to interrupt my thoughts; he just sat there, silently offering his presence. Not long ago, I thought of him as just a kid, but after seeing him in his adult form, my perception of him gradually changed. Recently, Akata’s thoughts have broadened significantly, and I often see him chatting with other guild members even when I’m not around. Though the conversations are mainly about guild matters, it’s clear he’s maturing.

Without saying anything, I tore open a bag of bread placed in the center of the table and handed it to Akata. (It’s a small victory that this bread hasn’t caught Gio’s attention yet, hidden under the vase.)

This is part of the so-called ‘Akata Fattening’ project.

“Thank you.”

Akata, having seemingly given up on resisting, took the bread without hesitation and nibbled a tiny piece.

The sound of a chair being pulled out followed by someone sitting next to Akata drew my attention. It was Unahar. I glanced at him, surprised, just as I was with Akata. It had been a long time since I’d seen these two sitting side by side, and it was a rather awkward two-shot for me right now.

Both of these people had feelings for me.

Their emotional states were displayed side by side in my status window.

[Emotional State] Calm

[Emotional State] Annoyed

Akata seemed indifferent even with Unahar next to him, but Unahar was the opposite. Since the failed kiss incident, Unahar’s feelings for Akata had seemingly vanished completely. Clearly, he joined us now to prevent me and Akata from being alone together.

The boy, who was cutely nibbling at his bread, glanced at the golden-haired handsome man beside him. Suddenly, he broke the bread in half, making sure to offer the side his mouth hadn’t touched.

“No, I’m good…”

However, Unahar eventually took the half piece of bread. He chewed it with a distinctly unenthusiastic expression.

Right before my eyes, Unahar’s emotional state shifted.

[Emotional State] Perturbed

He found the kid annoying, yet being shown kindness left him bewildered and embarrassed.

Unahar likely had many ways to secretly torment Akata, but perhaps he wasn’t that cruel, or maybe he was just mindful of my presence. 

In truth, Akata probably wasn’t being particularly kind by sharing the bread. He was likely trying to reduce his own portion. 

So, who is really naive here?

Regardless, watching the two handsome individuals of different heights eating bread together was a pleasant sight.

My tense expression softened. Even my tightly shut mouth began to relax.

“Do you think I’m too proud?”

Though I knew both would be taken aback by such a question, it slipped out before I realized it.

Maybe I was unconsciously comparing myself to Runehan.

“Do you feel like I don’t open up to you because I try to handle everything on my own without sharing my thoughts?”

Unahar’s gaze turned serious.

Meanwhile, Akata looked at me quietly and then smiled gently.

“You just shared your thoughts now, didn’t you?”

I blinked a few times.

Unahar pursed his lips and shot a sidelong glance at Akata.

Though he seemed slightly miffed that Akata spoke before him, he followed up on Akata’s words.

“Exactly. It’s not difficult. Sharing your worries with someone. If you start doing that from now on, the people who care about you will be happy.”

The barrier between characters began to narrow.

At that moment, I felt as if I was resonating not with artificial data but with the soul of a real person.

At this moment, I desperately wanted to ask one question, even if I had to block the ears of all the GMs.

The question needed to be directed… specifically at Akata, who shared my secret, to be understood.

Akata, do you believe that we, the characters in this game, have souls?

‘Because of you, and because of my people, I’ve started to think that maybe we do.’

* * *

The arena for the Combat War was relatively more confined compared to previous fields.

However, today’s field exuded a more imposing and overwhelming atmosphere.

[Welcome, players, to the Colosseum!]

The stadium, a colossal Colosseum made of shimmering marble that sparkled like golden sand, explained why the round was named “Combat War.”

This round was unique in that, due to the enormous spectator seats, even the weaker guild members who wouldn’t participate in the match were brought out to watch.

Spectators were seated in designated sections of the stands, separated by barriers, each marked with their guild’s color flag.

Though the distance was close enough to engage in staring contests with characters from opposing guilds, the intensity of the Combat War would likely draw everyone’s focus away from such trivial matters.

Half of the flags were unfamiliar colors, representing the new guilds of the 2nd generation.

Who would win? Would the experienced players crush the newcomers, or would the fresh arrivals dethrone the established ones?

Viewers were probably frantically betting on their favored 2nd-generation contenders.

Currently, no guild members remained at their fortresses.

This meant the lookout function was disabled. Without the lookout’s potion support, health recovery was prohibited.

This arena was reminiscent of the ancient Roman deathmatch arenas where a gladiator had to kill the opponent for the match to end.

One advantage was that each guild had an equal-sized section, leaving the space for Agasa’s six members spacious and underfilled.

Unlike Aleon’s Ice Fortress, which had over fifty seats packed tightly.

We could lay back and watch the match comfortably, each of us on a different row.

“Gio, are you at a baseball game? Stop eating so many snacks.”

The muscular beast kept dropping crumbs on me from the seat above. Was he doing it on purpose?

When I said something, Gio kicked the back of my seat, and I reclined it sharply.

The situation didn’t escalate into a major fight thanks to Akata and Unahar restraining me, and Kanel and Lilith calming Gio.